Biggest Solar Flares of 2014: Sun Storm Photos

Sunspot AR 1944 Seen in Sulmona, Italy

Giuseppe Petricca

Astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca sent in a photo of the sunspot AR 1944, taken Jan. 7, 2014, in Sulmona, Italy. He used a piece of welding glass to filter the sun, producing the green color. [Read the Full Story Behind This Photo Here]

Setting Sun with Sunspot AR 1944 HDR Filtered by Petricca

Giuseppe Petricca

Giuseppe Petricca sent SPACE.com this HDR filtered photo of the setting sun with sunspot AR 1944 still visible on the horizon. Petricca took this photo on Jan. 7 from Sulmona, Italy using a Nikon P90 bridge camera on a tripod (ISO 64, f/6.3, 1/1200" exposure). Welding glass was used giving the photo a green color. [Read the Full Story Behind This Photo Here]

X1.2 Solar Flare: Jan. 7, 2014

NASA/SDO

This NASA view combines two images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured on Jan. 7, 2014. Together, the images show the location of a giant sunspot group on the sun, and the position of an X-class flare that erupted at 1:32 p.m. EST. [VIDEO: Watch the Solar Flare Eruption]

Read the Full Story Here.

X1.2 Solar Flare Sunspots: Jan. 7, 2014

NASA/SDO

This labeled image taken by SDO's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager shows the location of two active regions on the sun, labeled AR1944 and AR1943, which straddle a giant sunspot complex. A Jan. 7, 2014, X1.2-class flare emanated from an area closer to AR1943. [VIDEO: Watch the Solar Flare Eruption]

Read the Full Story Here.

X1.2 Solar Flare Full Sun: Jan. 7, 2014

NASA/SDO

This full-sun view combines two images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured on Jan. 7, 2014. Together, the images show the location of a giant sunspot group on the sun, and the position of an X-class flare that erupted at 1:32 p.m. EST. [VIDEO: Watch the Solar Flare Eruption]

Read the Full Story Here.

Large Sunspot: January 2014 Solar Flares

NASA/SDO

The large sunspot near the center of the sun is part of an active region that produced a mid-strength solar flare on Jan. 7, 2014. An outline of the flare can be seen in the overlay. The sunspot group is some seven Earth's across. [Read the Full Story Here]

M7.2 Solar Flare on Jan. 7, 2014

NASA/SDO

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which captures an image of the sun every 1.5 seconds, shows a mid-level M7.2-class solar flare at the center of the sun on Jan. 7, 2014. [Read the Full Story Here]

2014 New Year's Day Solar Flare: M9.9

NASA/SDO

Several wavelengths of light are combined in this New Year's Day solar flare image, categorized as an M9.9 and peaking at 1:52 p.m. EST on Jan. 1, 2014. [VIDEO: Watch the New Year's Solar Flares]

2014 New Year's Day Solar Flare: M9.9 (Full Disk)

NASA/SDO

Several wavelengths of light combine in this full disk version of a New Year's Day solar flare, categorized as an M9.9 and peaking at 1:52 p.m. EST on Jan. 1, 2014. [VIDEO: Watch the New Year's Solar Flares]

Active Sunspots: January 2014

NASA/SDO/HMI

Several sunspot regions on the sun are visible in this image was captured on Jan. 2, 2014, by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, or HMI, instrument, designed to study the magnetic field at the solar surface, or photosphere.

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